Strip paper sealer



May 10, 1932. H. H. HILLMER STRIP PAPER SEALER Filed March 28, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l l II I 3nventor H.H.Hillmer (Ittorneg May 10, 1932. H. H. HILLMER STRIP PAPER SEALER Filed March 28, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2,

H.H.Hillmer Patented May 10, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HERMAN H. HILLMER, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA, ASSIGNOR TO JUBILEE MANUFACTUR- ING (10., OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA, A CORPORATION OF NEBRASKA STRIP PAPER SEALER Application filed March 28, 1929. Serial No. 350,767.

The present invention relates to improvements in knives for strip paper sealers, and has for an object to provide more particularly an improved knife structure for severing the paper strips. 7

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved device of this character in which the strips of paper will be cut off in predetermined selected lengths.

A further object of the invention lies in providing an improved device in which gummed paper strips on the roll may be fed from the roll and outwardly to a moistening device, provision being also made for severing the gummed paper strips in lengths which are suitable for applying to packages for the purpose of tying and sealing the same.

A still further object of the invention resides in providing an improved cooperating 0 paper feeding and cutting mechanism,

whereby, by the very act of drawing the paper out from the machine, the same may be severed at a predetermined point.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved cooperating slide and knife mechanism, the slide being useful for the delivery of the paper from the machine, and the knife adapted to cut the paper in predetermined lengths on the descent of'the slide on its ejecting movement.

A still further object ofthe invention is to provide an improved moistening device in conjunction with the cutting and delivery 0 mechanism.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sec tional view taken through the machine substantially on the line 1-1 in Figure 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the machine.

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view through a portion of the machine adjacent the knife mechanism, and

Figure 4: is an end view of the paper feeding mechanism.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 10 designates the base or bottom of the frame or cabinet of the machine, which is preferably supported upon the feet or domes 11. These feetmay be attached to the frame by the use of bolts 12 or other appropriate fastenings; and the feet are preferably formed of rubber, and may be in the nature of vacuum cups to enable the device they support to cling to a smooth surface, such as a glass show-case top, varnished table or the like.

The cabinet or machine frame is formed with an appropriate paper holder, and in this instance I modify the base or bottom wall 10 by providing therein a trough or depressed portion 13 in which the paper roll 14 rests. This paper roll is composed of a gummed paper or other tape or web, the free end being led up and about a transverse bar 16 that is mounted between the side walls 15 of the cabinet at the rear upper portion thereof. This transverse bar 16 provides a support for the upper end of the spaced track bars 17, which extend down at an inclination to agree with the inclination given the upper 19. The guides 20 and 21 may be affixed to.

the walls 15, they being mounted in spaced relation, as shown in Flgure 1, and having a cut-away portion, as shown in Figure 3,

to receivethe upper end of the coil spring 22. This spring. 22 is secured at its lower end to a transverse post 23 mounted in the side walls 15 and said spring functions to return the knife blade 19 to the inner normal or lowered position. A lever 24 for cooperating with the knife 19 is mounted upon a transverse shaft 25, which may be journaled in the side walls 15 of the cabinet.

In Figure 3 the tail piece or lower end 26 of the lever 24 is shown as engaging through a transverse slot 27 made through the lower portion of the knife blade 19. It will be understood that when the lever 24 is depressed or rocked about the shaft 25 that the knife blade 19 will be moved outward to sever the paper strip. As best shown in Figure 3, the cutting edge 28 of the knife is preferably of V-shape for the purpose of causing the paper strips to be gradually and transversely cut. A shearing cut is thus had whereby the outer edges of the strip are first cut and the cutting action progressively spreads toward the middle portion of the strip, thereby assuring an even cut.

The track 17 is provided with a central elongated slot 29, through which gripping devices on the paper feed slide engage, as hereinafter explained.

Referring to Figure 4, the slide is formed with substantially C-shaped flanges 31 extending upwardly from a plate 32, which is disposed below the track bars 17 the flanges 31 being disposed over and about the outer edges of said track bars for the purpose of supporting the plate 32 slidably from the track and for guiding the movement of the slide up and down upon the track.

A tapered and beveled knife actuating cam 33 is rigidly secured beneath the plate 32 and is disposed in the path of the knife lever 24 for the purpose of operating the knife as hereinafter explained. The plate 32 is provided intermediate its ends with upstanding ears 34 for cooperating with a transverse pivot pin 35, which passes through the ears 34 and also through similar cars 37 on the slide plate 46. This slide plate is provided with the rolled finger grip 36 and with a jaw 38 disposed above the slot 29 of the track 17. The plate 32 is provided with a cooperating jaw 39 also disposed opposite the slide 29 in the track 17 and adjacent the jaw 38, whereby the paper strip may be gripped between the two jaws 38 and 39.

A coil spring 40 is shown as secured at its upper end to the slide or to the member 33 thereof and as engaging about a pulley 47 and thence downwardly substantially parallel to the track, the lower end being affixed to a suitable part, for instance to the shaft away from the space reserved for the tape roll 14. In this way rolls of large initial diameter may be placed in the trough 13. The spring 40 functions to return the slide to the upper position it is shown to occupy in Figure 1.

Now it will be understood that the paper strip 14 may contain certain indicia, including words or characters useful for advertising purpose. It is desirable to cut the paper in a manner whereby the incision will not interfere with the continuous and'completed message conveyed by such advertising matter. In other words it is desirable to cut the paper between two such advertisements printed on the paper, such advertisements being repetitions of one another and printed in like areas or lengths of the paper strip.

A fiat spring 42 is shown in Figure 1, as being riveted or otherwise secured to the rear wall 43 of the cabinet and having its upper free end disposed yieldably against the paper web for the purpose of pressing the same forcibly against the rear surface of the transverse bar 16, whereby to hold the paper in a position to be'gripped at the upper portion of the cabinet and for preventing the strip from being torn off and the end finding its way accidentally back into the cabinet where considerable difficulty would be involved in fishing it out again.

The upper edge of the rear cabinet wall 43 is turned over to provide a guide or flange 44 which overlies the upper portion of the transverse bar 16 and is spaced upwardly therefrom for the purpose of directing the strip of paper forwardly toward the slide. A plate 45 extends over the lower portion of the track bar 17 and virtually closes the lower end of the slot 29, the paper strip being fed beneath this plate 45 to the moistening device which will now be described.

The progress of the paper strip is shown at 14 in Figure 1 as issuing past the knife 19 and beneath a pressure member 50 which is pivoted as at 51 upon the cabinet sides 15. The weight of the pressure member 50 is designed to press the paper against the moistening means, which is contained in the lower or open end of the cabinet or housing, which lower open end is adapted to receive a container, tray or reservoir 51 disposed below the pressure member 50, and which is adapted to contain water or some other fluid up to an appropriate level as indicated in Figure 1. A rectangularly shaped member 52 is removably and rotatably received within the tank 51' and this member is provided with a plurality of perforations 53 on all of its faces, said faces being preferably of equal length and area.

The outer surface of the member 52 is covered with felt material or a wick 54 having a high capillary attraction for conveying the water to the upper portion of the wick over which the gummed side of the tape 14 is adapted to pass, pressure being superimposed thereupon by the member 50. A guide or detent is provided for the paper strip, said guide being preferably formed of a flat spring which is adapted to hold the moistener in a stationary position within the water vessel 51.

The action of the moistener is as follows As the paper strip lat comes out from the machine, its gunnned side will encounter the wick or felt 54 and become moistened so that it may be readily applied to the package. The moistener, where it has four sides as shown, practically contains eight distinct moistening surfaces. The guide finger or detent 55 extends forwardly above the moistener and is adapted to make contact with the intermediate portion thereof, so that the paper tape 14 coming down the guide 55 is allowed to come in contact only with the forward portion A of the upper side of the wick 54, the rear portion B of the wick being protected by the detent 55.

When a certain amount of paper has passed over the moistening surface A, it is adapted to become sticky and glutted with the glue; whereupon the operator may reverse it so that the portion B will contact with the paper and the portion A be kept from contact by the detent 55, which will hold the moistener element in its new position, but which may be sprung up away from the moistener element during the time that the operator is engaged in reversing the same; it being further understood that the pressure device 50 may be swung up about its pivot 51 to give access to the moistener element for the purpose of reversing and rotating the same.

At a later time, the operator may turn the moistener so as to expose a fresh side C to the tape and further by reversing the moistener, the portion D of the felt at such side may be presented to the wick. In a similar manner the other sides of the wick form double surfaces E, F and G, H for cooperating with the tape as previously described.

hen the surface A has accumulated an undesirable amount of gum or paste, which becomes removed from the strip passing over such surface A and the surface A has been turned so that it is immersed in the water, the excessively glutted portion A is subject to a long period of soaking, during which the glue is dissolved from the felt and the surface A becomes renewed and after a period of time automatically becomes again fit for use.

The plurality of moistening surfaces thus provided in the reversible and rotatable moistening device is a great advantage over the prior art in that heretofore such devices have been provided with but a single moistening surface that becomes glutted and sticky and thereby requires that the operator remove the gummy substance, which is annoying and troublesome and consumes a valuable amount of'time; and if the gum be not removed, it will ultimately result in putting the machine out of commission.

In theoperation of the paper feed mechanism it will be understood that the paper strip is brought up from the roll 14 and threaded between the transverse bar 16 and the spring 42 and flange 44:. Thence the end of the paper web is brought down the slot 29 between the track bars 17 to a position where it may be caught between. the jaws 38 and 39 of the slide. Suflicient pressure may be developed upon the paper through the jaws 38 and 39 by applying the finger to the finger piece 86 on the slide and this finger piece also provides an adequate grip, whereby the slide may be drawn down the inclined front portion of track 17 of the cabinet. The paper strip being gripped in the jaws will be drawn down with the guide toward the moistening device and the knife. It will be noted that the end of the strip or web will be threaded beneath the plate 45 prior to the commencement of operations, and that the portion grasped between the jaws 38 and 39 will not be the extreme end of the tape, but that as the slide descends it will force the tape outwardly past the knife and moistening mechanism. The paper is thus both fed outwardly and moistened at the same time and when the slide reaches the lower portion of its movement, the knife 19 will be acted on by the engagement of the cam 33 with the lever 24 to sever the paper strip at an appropriate point, as between advertisements. The spring 40 will restore the slide to the upper position after each actuation.

I do not wish to be restricted to the size, form and proportions of the various parts, and obviously changes could be made in the construction herein described without departing from the spirit of the invention, it being only necessary that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

"What is claimed is 1. In a strip paper sealer, including serving and severing means, a fluid receptacle past which the paper strip is fed, a perforated rectangular frame fitted reversibly and rotatably in said receptacle, a capillary felt covering said frame and having a plurality of moistening surfaces on each of its sides, a spring guide to hold the frame in adjusted position adapted to engage an intermediate part of the upper exposed portion of the felt to guard the strip from the surface underlying the guide, and a pressure member overlying the moistener for pressing the strip against the felt surface in advance of the guide. 1

2. In a strip paper sealer, a cabinet to hold I the paper strip, feeding means for the strip, severing means for the strip actuated by said feedmg means, and a reversible moistener in the cabinet to receive the paper strip from said feeding means, said feeding means being so disposed With respect to the moistener whereby the strip is delivered to the moistener at a point intermediate its front and rear Walls, and a spring guide to hold the moistener in adjusted position and adapted to protect a portion of the exposed surface of the moistener adjacent its rear wall.

In testimony whereof, I have aflixed my signature.

HERMAN H. HILLMER. 

